Breaking The Darkness (The Light and Dark Trilogy Book 1)

by Jessica Miller

  I'm detached and immobilized.

  How could I let this happen?

  Why did I let this happen?

  My vision blurs as the tears run down my cheeks.

  I opened my mouth to let out the screams, when nothing came out.

  I turned around and headed inside leaving the pictures scattered on the ground.

  I look around the house and see nothing but emptiness.

  My hands clench into small fists and begin leaving small droplets of blood on the ground. I walk further and further into the house, when I come face to face with the pictures of my family.

  I reached up and grabbed the first picture off the fireplace and threw it against the wall.

  I grab another picture and throw it against the wall. Loud echoes shatter the room as every picture, every last remaining memory of my family shatters to pieces.

  Tears escape my eyes as I slide down the wall, hug my knees to my chest and start rocking back and forth.

  I don't know how long I stayed like that. It could have been hours, possibly days, or maybe just minutes, but eventually I heard someone calling my name.

  "Hartley, what's wrong?" The voice asked but I'm too numb to respond.

  They accomplished what they wanted.

  They've broken me to my very core.

  Strong arms slide under me and lift me up. Next thing I know, I've been placed on the couch.

  Blood stained hands continue to shake as the shock completely takes over.

  My vision blurs, making it impossible to see the person in front of me.

  I've failed.

  How could I let them take her away from me?

  "Hartley, I need you to look at me."

  I can't comprehend what is going on, my thoughts are on constant replay of those images in that box.

  The strong hands grasp my face in a firm hold, "Baby, look at me." I look up to meet the stranger's gaze, when I'm met with those stunning blue eyes I can't seem to shake.

  "I need you to listen to me very carefully. This is not your fault. You did nothing wrong. You are in no way responsible for this." His eyes search mine for the longest time pleading with me to understand him.

  But I can't.

  How am I not responsible for this?

  "They...they..." I hiccup, struggling to find the right words.

  "I know. I know."

  That's when the dam breaks. His strong arms hug me into his chest, while I drenched his shirt with my pain.

  I cry for my parents, for my old life, and for the last remaining family I had.

  Pain and suffering has always surrounded me. I can't seem to escape the darkness that consumes my life.

  If it weren't for me, she would be alive and happy.

  If it weren't for me, my parents would be alive.

  Is this my legacy?

  To bring darkness to the ones I love?

  They tortured her to get information and when they were finished they murdered her in the most brutal way.

  They sent me pictures of what they did to her. Images that will be forever ingrained into my mind.

  When I looked at those pictures, I could almost hear her screams that were begging for me to save her.

  Thick red blood stained the dark grey walls of a cell. There was a chair in the middle of the room with a body slumped over and bound.

  Her appearance was altered to the point that it was almost hard to recognize her. She had cuts and bruises all over her body and a long, deep gash stretched across the left side of her face, rope marks around her neck proving that she was strangled. They amputated her legs, leaving her blood to drain out from her body.

  The last final breaking point was when I looked deeply into the picture and saw those comatose eyes staring back at me, lifeless.

  They slaughtered her with no remorse. They took away what little family I had left and made an example out of her.

  I didn't even get the chance to say goodbye.

  Soon, reality sunk in taking my breath away.

  I am truly alone.

  I have no one left.

  My fists clench around Trace's shirt.

  They think they can intimidate me.

  They think they can break me.

  I hope they're ready.

  There will be Hell to pay.

  Chapter Eight

  I was shaking all over.

  Boiling rage began to consume me.

  I escaped Trace's grasp and started pacing back and forth throughout the living room.

  My powers began to surface as I became stronger. I slide my fingers through my hair and grabbed my head, trying to take deep breaths.

  "Hartley, you need to calm down." I could see him coming towards me as I backed further away from him.

  "Don't let them win. This is exactly what they wanted, for you to lose control. You need to be strong and fight the urge!" He continued on with so much power in his voice that it almost made me calm down.

  Almost.

  Black spots invaded my vision as I started getting dizzy.

  "Dammit!" Trace swore under his breath.

  I backed up towards the wall trying to catch my breath, while keeping a very steady eye on Trace as he picked up the phone.

  "Cole, get your ass over here, I need help containing her." His eyes locked on mine, "She's losing control."

  I turned away from him so I could think.

  Tears were on the verge of spilling over as my hands clenched into tight fists.

  Next thing I knew, I was suddenly grabbed and turned around. Trace pulled me close to his chest and when my eyes met his, time stopped ticking.

  My breathing slowed as I continued to stare at him through glossy eyes. Somehow, his touch soothed me, it made me forget.

  How is this possible?

  With his eyes darkening in what appeared to be lust, he moved his hands into my hair as he leaned in.

  At that moment, everything else faded away as his lips gently met mine.

  I was powerless against him when he tugged me closer to him, deepening the kiss. Tingles arose on my body when he moved his hands from my hair to my waist.

  Without thinking I raised my hands and threaded them into his hair, slowly losing myself in his kiss. His lips are soft and gentle at first, but then they turn rough and passionate; like he's been waiting to do this for years as he savored every inch.

  In the next moment, I am roughly pushed away from him.

  I froze in place as a bucket of ice cold water was dumped on top of me.

  What the hell just happened?

  Why did I let him kiss me?

  Why did he kiss me?

  Raising my gaze back to his, I noticed how dark his eyes have become.

  No longer that beautiful shade of blue, they are now black as night with a faint orange glow flickering like a flame. It's like I can see into the bottomless pits of Hell.

  Gathering up enough courage, I stalked my way towards him until we were chest to chest.

  I glare into his intimidating stare and gritted out, "What. The. Hell. Are. You?"

  His eyes turned to slits, his hatred for me has returned. Taking a step back, I realized how truly terrifying he is.

  Standing completely still, his lips are set in a firm line with a clenched jaw. His hands are drawn to his sides in closed fists. When my gaze raises back to his, I can see a dark, violent storm brewing inside. In this moment, it looks as though this teenage boy, has been replaced with a demon.

  "Hartley, I suggest you back away from him right now. He is unable to control himself and you don't want him to do something he will regret."

  Switching my gaze to meet Cole's, I say, "Then you need to tell me who the hell you are and what you want with me." Nodding his head, he walks over to the coffee table and sits down, motioning for me to sit on the couch in front of him.

  As I walk over to him, I see Trace shake his head, and take a deep breath. He leans up against the wall, arms crossing over his chest. Gaze still fiery.

>   "We knew your parents." My eyes widen as sweat glands slide down my face. I glanced at the both of them in complete and utter confusion.

  "We've known you our whole lives," Cole continued. "You are very special and very powerful. We were sent to protect you along with your parents. We were supposed to protect you that night, but we didn't reach you in time. Trace and I got there as fast as we could but, when we arrived it was too late. Your parents had already passed on, and you were gone.

  We panicked. We couldn't find you anywhere, and we were afraid you had been taken. We searched your house for hours to see if you were hiding somewhere in fear, when Trace finally found you.

  You were lying on the ground covered in blood, eyes open, with broken bones, cuts and bruises all over your body. It looked as though that bastard had succeeded in draining the life from your eyes."

  Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath he said, "When Trace found you, your heart had stopped beating."

  "I...I died?" I whisper, eyes glued on Cole's. He kept his gaze on me, concern seeping through. Leaning over and putting my hands on my head I said, "Continue."

  He hesitates at first then gets back into the story, "That's when we realized how powerful you truly are. There were many dead bodies surrounding you. It was amazing; you managed to fight them all off by yourself, and you healed all of your broken bones, cuts and bruises. The only thing you couldn't heal was one scar that will be forever branded to your soul." My head snapped up, as I raised a brow.

  I don't have a scar.

  "This is not something you can see, but that you can feel," Cole explained. "The thing is, you are extremely powerful, and when your heart stopped beating, you took the energy from the closest living thing to you, bonding your souls together."

  "And...and who was the closest to me?" I closed my eyes fearing that I already know the answer.

  "Trace."

  I stopped breathing, opened my eyes and glanced at Trace. Nodding his head, he stalked out the door, slamming it shut behind him.

  I rub a hand over my face, then raise my gaze back to Cole's. "Is that why he hates me so much?"

  Shaking his head Cole continues, "No, he doesn't hate you. It's just hard for him to accept. Hartley, a counterpart is a very serious thing. It's not some stupid sappy romance story that you two will create, it's a bond that will last forever. When you died, your soul bonded with Trace's soul and because of that you will never love another. You are supposed to protect one another, cherish one another, and love with every last breath of your immortal lives."

  I looked at him in confusion, "Immortal?"

  "When your soul bonded with Trace, you both became immortal."

  My eyes widened as I stood up. "I'm supposed to spend the rest of eternity with him? You're kidding right? We hate each other!"

  "You need to calm down." He stood up and raised his hands in defense.

  "Calm down! You expect me to calm down after everything you just told me?" I began pacing in front of him, slowly losing my mind.

  "There's a lot you don't know about us - how we came to be, what we are, or who we are exactly, but you can trust us..."

  I stop and turn around to look at him, "What did you just say?"

  He cocks his head to the side and stares at me for a moment, "I said you can trust us."

  Shivers run down my spine as my bottom finds the seat.

  Trust.

  This is who my aunt was talking about.

  She knew.

  She knew she was going to die, just like my parents.

  "Um, are you okay?"

  I chuckle darkly, finding slight humor in this situation.

  I get up and walk to the door, swiftly opening it and letting in a cool breeze.

  I look back over at Cole as my eyes harden, "Get out."

  Taken aback by my abrupt tone he scratches his head in confusion. "You can trust us. We are not the enemy."

  I chuckle and shake my head, "You really expect me to believe that? Get out of my house!"

  "What the hell is going on here?" Trace's deep, husky voice sends tingles down my spine as he emerges from the darkness.

  Cole rolls his eyes and looks at his brother, a smirk appearing on his lips. "Your girlfriend is kicking us out. She doesn't trust us."

  My brows furrow in confusion, "Guess we'll just have to change her mind then." That is the last thing I hear before the lights go out, leaving me surrounded in darkness.

  Chapter Nine

  Black dress, black tights, black shoes, black gloves, black everything. Tears stained my cheeks as I looked down at my parent's graves.

  I sank to my knees and laid a red rose on each of their graves.

  "How could you leave me? You said you would be there for me! You said you would take care of me!" I pounded my fists on the ground and broke down in the middle of the cemetery, not caring who was watching me.

  My mind replayed all of the memories we shared; my mom teaching me how to bake cookies in the kitchen. My father and I wrestling in the backyard to see who was stronger than the other.

  We were strong, we were happy; and now our family was broken and destroyed.

  Hours later, I picked myself up off the ground, and headed towards the only remaining family I had left.

  That's when I saw a figure leaning up against the tree in a black hoodie watching me. Goosebumps arose on my arms when my gaze met his.

  Ice cold blue eyes looked back at me in pure wonder.

  I woke up laying on the couch, blue eyes looking back at me with concern. Quickly realizing what just happened, I sat up and pushed him away from me.

  "What did you do to me?"

  Trace crossed his arms over his chest, and looked me straight in the eyes. "We did nothing. You accessed a memory."

  A memory?

  "What do you mean I accessed a memory?"

  He sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "A few years ago, I had to erase some memories of your past."

  My eyes widen, "What?"

  He raises his hands in the air in defense, "Don't go ballistic on me, you'll find out more soon, but I can't give you your memories back, you have to do it on your own."

  My gaze hardens, "Why?"

  He looks at me with a saddened expression, "I...I can't tell you."

  I sigh and lean back on the couch closing my eyes, giving up the argument for now. "There's no getting rid of you is there?"

  He chuckles, "Nope."

  "Please tell me you didn't harm the poor girl."

  Startled, I looked away from Trace and to the door to see an older woman walking through.

  "Mom, is this really the best time for you to be here?"

  My eyes snapped back to Trace's.

  What?

  As if he just heard my thoughts out loud his gaze met mine and hardened. I gulped and looked away quickly.

  "Of course it is! You and Cole have made yourselves another mess." She shakes her head as she walks over to me, sitting down beside me. "And it's a mother's job to clean up after you."

  Her gaze lands on mine, and it's as if I'm staring straight into Cole's eyes. With long dirty blonde hair, and brown eyes that hold a welcoming stare, the two are a spitting image of each other.

  "Hello darling," she smiled. "I am the mother. I apologize if my boys have confused you in anyway. They're not very good with explaining things and I want to give you the opportunity to ask any questions you may have.

  However, it has been a very long night and you need to get your rest. My husband and I will gladly give you a place you can call home. We will do everything in our power to keep you safe."

  My hands clench into tight fists. "What do you want from me? The better question is who are you? I don't know any of you, we just met, I just met them the other day and now you are taking me into your home? I'm sorry but this doesn't make any sense, and I can't trust you just like that."

  She sighs and looks down at her hands. "I understand. You see, I knew your parents, my husband knew your pare
nts. We were their guardians entrusted to look after them and protect them. All that I am asking is for you to come stay with us for the night. Just one night so you can get your rest, then give us some time to explain things, and if you think you still can't trust us then you can be on your way."

  Something in her voice made me crack. I don't know if it was the fact it sounded broken, or just scared, but for some reason I trusted her.

  Only her.

  She smiled at me and put a small hand on mine, "Now go upstairs and pack your belongings for the night. If you decide to stay longer, the boys will come back and help you pack."

  Ignoring the intimidating gaze of my counterpart, I get up and head for the stairs to go pack.

  Grabbing my bag, I stuffed some clothes in it, grab my toiletries, and my phone charger.

  Taking a look around my room I snatch the picture off my nightstand that holds the last remaining memory of my family, grab the letter from the drawer, and stuff it in my bag.

  With one last glance to make sure I have everything I need for the night, I make my way down the stairs.

  My pace slows when I hear yelling coming from the living room.

  "Dammit mom! I can't do this anymore, I have to tell her!"

  "You need to calm down. She can't know yet, it's for her safety and yours. She has to be able to focus, and you need to focus on protecting her."

  I slowly creep into the living room and see Trace pacing back and forth in front of his mother.

  "I feel like I'm losing my mind. She drives me crazy! Why is it so damn hard to control myself around her?"

  "Because Trace, she is yours whether you like it or not. You have formed a bond with each other that is unbreakable. This bond will make you do things that are uncontrollable. When you are with her, you will have to restrain yourself. We know what would happen if you gave into your desires."

  Not wanting to hear anymore, I walk into the room making myself known.

  His mother sees me immediately and says, "Do you have everything you need for the night?"

  Trace turns around and gives me a glare before he takes my bag from my hands and walks out the door, slamming it shut behind him.

  "Did I do something wrong?" I say confused at his sudden change of attitude. I will never understand him and his stupid mood swings.